First West of England pledges to support passengers with sight loss and launches 'Talking Buses' in Bristol

First West of England is beginning to roll out 'talking bus technology' on many of its buses in Bristol as well as running Swap with me events across the region in partnership with us.

First have so far delivered two Swap with me events this summer, one in Weston Super Mare and another in Bristol, with a third planned for Bath later this year. The events bring blind and partially sighted passengers together with bus drivers, to give them the opportunity to swap places, and better understand the challenges they face.

On 25 July, First also announced it is beginning to roll out talking bus technology on its buses in Bristol. So far 13 single deck buses are fitted with the technology, with 81 double deck buses due to roll out in the coming weeks and months. This heralds a significant step forward for blind and partially sighted passengers travelling in the city.

We are delighted that First West of England has made the commitment to sign up to our bus charter and are rolling out talking buses across Bristol!